


Stitches

by Caroaimezoe



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Turtlecest, darkoctober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 02:09:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caroaimezoe/pseuds/Caroaimezoe
Summary: Entry for darkoctober. Prompt requested by Howdoyoudo.!!~~Winner in the Universal TMNT Fanfiction Competition 2018: (Mature Ballot) Most Interesting Dark Fiction 1st Place; ~~!!





	Stitches

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**Dark October**   
**Stitches**

  
There was nothing Don could do about it. The Shredder’s claws had sliced Leo’s neck as smoothly as if it was soft butter. He had almost decapitated him in one shot. Only a flaccid strip of skin and some tendon still connected the leader's head to his body.

That it was a critical hit was an understatement. A trail of blood, thick, red, and viscous, dripped sluggishly from the motionless body they dragged along with them. Raphael had joined them, carrying Leo bridal style, very careful to not expose Leo's gaping wound. They didn't even bother to try to erase their trail, driven by a blind panic, finding the lair almost by chance, because they were too out of it to notice where they were going.

Out of habit they had taken the path to the lab, laying the leader on the cot with great care, waiting for Don to do his magic, he had guessed.

Yes, it would need some kickass magic, he had briefly thought. But it did not prevent him from trying, and trying again.

Donnie knew it was bad and it was unlikely to make a difference, but Raph’s pale face and Mikey’s tears prevented him from dropping it. Anyway, his own heart was aching too much to just call it quits.

His feelings for Leo had evolved into more romantic ones in the last two years. This secret was too heavy on his mind and this night he had decided to confess. It was supposed to be only a routine patrol. He had run his speech over and over in his mind while Leo was drilling them.

Don’s speech was ready and he was almost confident about it. No, no more postpone and backing down. This night was a good one, he had felt it. He would tell Leo how he felt with words and then kiss him.

But fate had decided otherwise.

Shredder had annihilated Donnie’s opportunity to tell Leo how much he loved him.

In the middle of the fight against the Foot, Donnie had been surprised to find himself mesmerized by Leo's appearance under the moon's silver sheen, with his shimmering katanas and his skin taking on gemstone intonations in the moonbeam. He had been so breathtaking, looking like a War God.

Donatello was there, gaping and swooning, staring at the sweat drop running down those powerful thighs, glistening and so appealing, and had not seen the enemy behind him.

Leonardo had seen him and had taken Shredder’s shot in his place, pushing Donnie out of reach, saving his life.

The Fearless Leader had agonized only a moment in Michelangelo's arms and when Don had reached him, rushing to his knees beside him, to take his head against him, the magnificent blue eyes were glassy, with a dilated pupil. Donatello had remained with his last confession stuck in his throat, frozen and shocked, not even acknowledging Raph killing their nemesis with a roar.

And now Leo was lying on the narrow cot of his laboratory, lifeless. Not dead, not yet. Don was still working on Leo. He would not abandon him. How could he when Leo was so precious to him and had given up his promising life to spare Don’s miserable one.

He had already pretty much tried everything at this stage. Sewed the neck and the aorta, transfused his own blood, but Leo was still motionless, stiff and cold on the cot.

It could not be. Leo was so warm, and graceful and full of life. This Leo lying there was a digression Donnie could not allow. Leo was not dead. It did not make any sense.

When Mikey had told him that Leo was dead in his ninja prime, without even suffering and with the satisfaction to have saved Donnie’s life, he had kicked him out of his laboratory. He would not let Mikey's comforting words distract him from his goal

Donatello was supposed to be able to fix everything. It was his damn own fault, to begin with. He would fix Leo, to the hell with his own health.

And when Leo was conscious again, Don would tell him.

To make this happen, he worked with no rest at all.

There was a moment when despite himself, he fainted of exhaustion. Don had lost track of time. In his dream, Leo was alive, moving and moaning while Don was kissing him and when startled awake, he opened his eyes and had a shock.

Leo’s eyes were now closed and his hands were folded across his chest.

Sometimes, Donnie had spied on his brother while he was asleep, with only a candle near him. Leo was the picture of perfection, even in his sleep, with even breathing and arms crossed like this.

It meant Leo had moved! It meant Leo was alive and just asleep! Why in the world he had fallen asleep at such a moment.

Eagerly he had looked at his monitors, but nothing seemed to have changed. Cautiously, he shook Leo a little to make him open his eyes again. But Leo was like a rag doll, which would be stuffed with steel.

But he had closed his eyes!

Donnie had rushed outside his lab, exclaiming Leo was now safe and alive and they needed to celebrate.

“What ya means? How can ya joke about that?” Raph asked, his voice hoarse from crying, probably.

When he had explained his reasons for believing it, Raph had grunted.

“Ya moron! I closed his eyes! I couldn’t stand to see them like that, expressionless like a stone,” he had yelled, storming off and leaving Don, soul-crushed.

No, he would not give up hope.

***

“My son, I understand you are affected, but it’s time we say a goodbye to your brother.”

“Give me more time, Sensei! I will figure it out!”

*****  
“He is dead, man! Get a grip!”

*****  
“Dee, dude, please. Let him go. It’s been three days already. He will rot, soon. We need to burn him,” Mikey pleaded.

The body of jade would go away, pure in death as it had been during his lifetime, and Don could not bring himself to see that flesh, made for love, and those muscular limbs, means to encircle a lover, burning in flames.

It was such a waste.

There was a solution somewhere, Donnie had only to find it. He would not accept Leo’ death.

Donatello admitted science seemed to have a limit, but that meant nothing, right? The black holes existed before science discovered them. It was the same with resurrection. Just because the solution was not in a textbook, that didn’t mean there wasn’t one.

Black magic was the next logical thing to try. If someone had told him six months ago that he would be there, Don would have made fun of them. Now, he was ready to climb to any hope.

The dark web was fascinating and he had quickly found out about a supposed Marie Laveau, living in New York. He must act soon because now, Leo was covered in ice to keep him fresh and the leader hated to be cold.

Sorceress seemed to have stepped into the twenty-first century and he sent her an email, heart racing. She replied less than fifteen minutes later. She agreed to give him an appointment.

***

She was living in an old, shabby apartment, in the bottom end of the Bronx. Don just seeing the number of roaches there, doubted she had power at all, but after having moving Leo’s body all the way there, he would not back down.

It was his only hope. If he did not do something right now, they would force him to incinerate him and he could not bring himself to doing so.

Donnie had brought with him twenty fours cans of Coca-Cola. She said it was her ‘tip’. So that was the worst he had to lose in this deal.

He ran to the doorbell and a young, muscular black man opened the door, looking serious. Without a word, he led Donatello to his mistress.

She was an old black woman, with a face wrinkled as a dried plum and hairs the color of ash, but a hint of her past beauty was still obvious on her features.

She was sitting on an Ikea chair, with the omnipotence of Nebuchadnezzar  
, surrounded by candlelight, and she came straight forward, not even asking why he was there. Maybe Leo’s inert body was telling enough.

“What will you give me for this?” she asked bluntly after having pointed a table where she obviously wanted Don to lay Leo.

It was something Don had not seen coming, but it was true that the Coca-cola cans were meant to be her tip, and not her payment, not the real price for this deal.

“I will give you whatever you want,” he said, after having carefully laid his brother’s cold body on the table. “Leo means everything to me. There’s nothing I would not give for him.”

“What about your soul?” she asked.

Don thought. What about his soul? His soul was nothing concrete or tangible. He could not see his soul when Leo performing a kata was such a warming sight. His soul was nothing useful for his happiness like Leo was.

“Whatever,” Don replied. ”I just want you to fix him.”

The old woman lowered her head, looking at Leo’s pale body.

“It was time for you to bring him to me! The putrefaction has begun," she exclaimed, pointing to a dark spot on Leo's chest.

“Please” Donatello begged, not wanting to stare at the death attacking Leo’s body. “Do something. I will give you my soul. I will be your servant, but please, fix him!”

His voice showed how he was bordering on hysteria.

“He only needs stitches,” she commented, her onyx eyes devouring Donnie alive. “Is this purple bandana meaningful to you?”

“If you want it, I can give it to you,” Don started, uncertain he understood. “Our Sensei gave us colored bandanas, but I think it was randomly…”

“Purple is the last color of the rainbow. This is the threshold before a mysterious beyond, which is why at all times it has meant the world of the dead and spirits,” she explained seriously, motioning at Donnie to untie it. He did as he was told. It was only a piece of cloth, nothing more.

“First, I need your semen on it,” the sorceress said bluntly, ”because it’s the liquor of life. You will give yourself pleasure, thinking of the life you want to give. Then, you need to ejaculate on it to make this future happen,” she stated, her nail scratching the bandana.

At this, Donnie had a moment of doubt. She could not be serious, right? This woman was maybe a pervert, who was getting off staring at young men jerking off? But the voodoo priestess looked sternly at him, while her hand was traveling on Leo’s plastron.

“I feel the bugs already about to eat him from the inside.”

It could not be. If his cum could resuscitate Leo, Don would give it to him as he would have done if they’d had the time to become lovers.

Anyway, it was easy, Don reflected, pumping his cock with the desperate energy. How many times had he beat off thinking about his eldest brother? He closed his eyes, picturing Leo, his blues eyes open and full of life, looking at him lustfully.

 _“I need you….”_ Leo was begging, twisting on his bed. His complexion was a healthy shade of green, sweating and trembling. Leo’s bedroom eyes were shining with the sparkle of life and arousal, and his breathing was uneven.

_“I’m too hot, please, make love to me…”_

Leo was warm and his skin soft, Don could see the veins full of running blood and life in Leo’s hard cock.

 _“Please..”_ he pleaded again, in that soft voice of his and Don grunted, flooding his hand holding the bandana. His knees buckled under the wave of pleasure and he fell on the dirty ground.

“Good,” the woman said, and Donnie came back to the hard reality, “now, we are going to step two.”

She pulled out a little knife, with an ivory handle.

“You will cut yourself in the same place your brother is wounded, with this,” she explained, in her sinister voice, “and heat the blade in this fire.”

Before Donatello could ask of which fire she was talking, she passed her long-nailed hand above a wicker basket and a long bluish spark of fire grew with a hissing sound.

“Then, you will wipe the knife with your bandana,” she continued.

Don did as she told him to do without hesitation and even eagerly, his hand not even shaking while he was cutting himself. The only thing he felt was the anticipation to see the light of life in the blue eyes of his brother again. And once done he handed her the blood-tainted fabric.

She rubbed the bandana between her rough hands and some threads of the fabric seemed to come apart from each other by friction. She picked up a thread, rolled it between her fingers to refine it, and wiped the blade over again. The sorceress recited incantation in a monotonous voice, calling a Mami Wata, nodding.

After a while, she stayed still, looking down and Donatello feared she was asleep. He was about to touch her and shake her off, when she snapped her head up, looking at him with white eyes, holding a needle, seemingly made of bone, in her hand.

"Mami Wata accepts the sacrifice of your soul and you, as a servant, but Mami Wata wants the fidelity and the absolute secrecy of her servants. Your flesh will never know the warmth of another and you will never be able to tell anyone what happened here."

Don swallowed heavily, it was an unexpected price. Never he would be able to tell Leo how much he loved him, nor kiss him and even less make love to him like he had been dying to do for years.

But Leo would be alive.

“Okay,” Don agreed with a shaky breath.

Satisfied, the possessed woman threaded the needle and started to stitch Leonardo’s neck under the fascinated gaze of Donnie. She was chanting along, but in a too low a pitch for Donnie to understand the words. When she was done, she pulled golden scissors out of a pocket and cut the purple bandana in half.

"Part of it will be for the goddess. I will keep it, it will symbolize your promise and the gift of your soul. The second part will be used as a choker necklace for your brother, to hide the stitches. If someone removes the necklace or looks under it, life will escape from your brother again. You can tell your brother not to remove it, to hide the scar, but nothing more,” she warned.

“But what if while training, the choker moves and shows the stitches?” Donnie asked, worried to have gone through all this, only to have Leo die all over again by a stupid incident.

“No, the choker cannot move or be untied, see?”

She tied the fabric around Leo's neck. The length was perfect, exactly the circumference of his brother's neck. But then she moved Leo’s head to show there no trace of the knot. The necklace seemed to have neither an end nor a beginning and not be in mere cotton anymore. The fabric seemed finer, of a tighter weave and to have the shimmer of silk.

“Only a blade, already soaked in your brother's blood, can cut the ribbon.”

This probably meant that an enemy could easily kill Leo again. Shredder was dead, thanks to Raph but Karai was alive, having sworn to kill them. Donnie vowed to protect Leo better in the future.

Keeping him alive was the only proof of love he had the right to give him and he would.

“Return to your home, and by sunrise, your brother will be alive,” she said, opening the first can of Coca-Cola. “If you have questions or trouble, you can come again to ask me. I take pride in my customer service, but be aware there is no refund.”

Don nodded eagerly, still not sure if he could believe it. She had said ‘by sunrise’ and Don’s soul was about to burst.

Then, he remembered he was supposed to not have a soul anymore. Like he had thought, having a soul or not did not change a thing.

***

His journey back to the lair seemed to be done on a cloud, Leo in his arms. Was his mind tricking him or Leo's body was already more flexible and warmer?

He stopped many times on his way out, looking at Leo’s face in the moonbeams.

Leo’s grin was not as rigid. The features had a softer expression, like the one of a Sleeping Beauty.

But a Sleeping beauty he could not kiss, he thought, with a burning regret.

In the lair, his heart pounding, he entered Leonardo’s bedroom, laying his brother in his bed. He tucked him in, covering him with his blanket so Leo would warm up faster. He sat down on the bed, watching him, to be the first to see the beautiful eyes opening again.

A warm hand woke him up.

“Donnie? What are you doing in my bed?”Leo asked.

Donnie could not believe it. It was Leo talking to him. It was Leo talking. It was Leo ALIVE! One moment, Don wondered if all of this was only a dream but then, his eyes fell on Leo’s neck. A purple ribbon was circling it, making it look slender and even more gracious, enhancing the rainforest green skin.

Thank God, it was a cute accessory, so maybe Leo would be content enough to not try removing it, or question it too much.

His voice was slightly different, a little more hoarse and deeper, but it had its charm. Don found it even sexier. And it did not matter if it there were some difference when Leo was looking at him, with concern and gentleness and not with his dead eyes.

“Leo! Leo!” he cried out, bursting into tears of relief, hugging him. ”Please, tell me! Are you alright? Are you in pain?”

Leo carefully disengaged himself, with a soft chuckle.

“Wow! You are affectionate this morning! Of course, Don. I’m fine. Maybe a little thirsty.”

Don jumped out of the bed, cheerful.

“What do you need? Water? Tea? What do you want? You have just to ask! I will do anything for you!” he claimed with passion.

Leo frowned and Don was fascinated to look at Leo’s expressive face after having stared at it, lifeless for days. It was the most mind-blowing sight ever.

“Well, just a glass of tap water will do it, Donnie. But I’m not dying or anything, so I can serve myself,” he replied. “But thanks for your care.”

Leo was not dying and it was the most amazing statement in the world.

Suddenly, Donnie remembered their other family members and how they would be thrilled about Leo’s resurrection. But, Donnie thought, he had to give them some explanations about how Leo, dead for days, was now very alive and obviously fine.

His eyes must have been staring unconsciously to the ribbon because Leo touched it.

“What is that?” he asked, trying to pull on it, to see.

“Don’t,” the scientist yelled, in a blind panic. “I operated you after you had been hurt and if you remove it, the stitches could get infected,” he lied.

Leo dropped his hand, looking at seriously. Donnie was so glad Leo had always been an obedient patient. If it was Raph in the same case, the hothead would have ripped off already.

“Oh,” he said, ”I had been hurt? I don’t remember. What happened?”

Donnie was starting to explain when the door burst open, Raphael rushed in.

“What the f...?”

Raph’s curse died on his lips, when stunned, he stared at Leo like he was a ghost.

Don could relate. Even knowing how and why, he was still dazed.

“Raphael, what the meaning of this?” Leo started to lecture. “Since when do you barge in my room and...”

The rest was only a choking sound, since Raphael was hugging him tightly, tears running down his face.

“Fearless, Fearless…” he sobbed and Leo was almost frozen by the surprise.

“I guess I was pretty badly injured?” Leo asked Donnie, still caught in Raph fierce embrace. ”Raph’s acting as if I brushed death.”

“Yeah,” Don choked out, while Raphael was uttering incoherent words and was sobbing over and over about having ‘closed yer damn eyes’. “Just don’t touch the ribbon,” Don warned in a pleading tone. “You will be sick all over again.”

Raph turned toward Donnie with disbelieving red-rimmed eyes having heard the ‘sick’ term applied about Leo’s previous state, but he did not protest about its use, as Don feared for one moment. They must not upset Leo or make him ask more questions about what happened or how Donnie had managed to heal him.

“Thanks, Don,” Raph said, in a humble voice. ”You were the one not giving up on him! When I think about what I told you… If you had listened to us…”

An image of fire licking the body of their brother passed in their two minds, except in that of Donnie the fire of the voodoo queen resided, while she was passing the blade of the knife above the blue flames.

“Well, I suppose I need to thank you, Donnie,” Leo declared, disengaging from Raph. ”I feel brand new. Now, let me walk out of my bedroom. It’s already past 6:30. I’m late on my schedule.”

Still amazed both Raph and Donnie were watching as Leo stretched his limbs, put on his gear and walked out.

He went to the kitchen, followed by them and he swallowed the water under Donnie’s incredulous stare. Fascinated, he watched his brother drink, imagining the liquid running down his throat. The throat that they all had seen sliced, almost entirely.

It was supernatural. It was beautiful.

A shout startled him and he saw again Leo clenched by an emotive sibling. Mikey was sobbing his eyes out, and then, Master Splinter dropped his favorite teacup.

All the family was crying, apologizing to Donatello and telling Leo how Donnie had been dedicated to his care.

“I swear, Leo. We were all convinced you were dead and we told Dee he was delusional. We all feared his lost his mind over you!”

At this, Don was keeping a humble demeanor, not trying to shine about how he had healed Leonardo.

***

Weeks passed and normality returned to the lair. Mikey was happy again, with his cooking and joking, and Master Splinter was like himself, serious and benevolent. Raphael seemed back to normal as well, except that he was no longer itching for a fight with the leader. Obviously, the fear of losing him had somewhat changed the hot-head’s feelings for Leonardo.

Donatello was trying to return to his routine as well.

He stayed a little longer than before in his lab, trying to bury himself under the work. The reason was that he was trying to look busy to justify the fact that slowly, but surely, he was building a wall between himself and his older brother, because as much as Raphael was now more attentive to Leo, Leo was now more attentive to Donnie.

It was hardly surprising, since everyone had made sure to tell the Leader how Donatello had been at his bedside, fussing over him, refusing to take any break or to abandon him when everyone else had given up.

Of course, Leo was stirred and grateful, and now something different seemed to shine in the dark blue eyes. It was easy to tell since Donnie must have had the same look in his own eyes for years and was hoping for it in Leo’s for so damn long.

Love.

How convenient now that it was impossible, more than ever?

For days now, Leo was trying to corner him ‘to talk’ and Donnie was scared as hell about what his brother wanted to say to him. Deep inside, Donnie knew anyway it would be a love confession.

A love confession he had to reject, even when he was still so madly in love with him, without giving the real reason for his refusal.

Because Leonardo could not know what he was. Donnie did not even know what to call him, guessing the most accurate name was ‘zombie’. A zombie in very good shape, doing four hours of training daily, polite, drinking his tea with his pinky finger up and eating his usual veggie pizza.

And with a burning gaze.

Don was working in the garage under the shell cycle. Doing upgrades on it was now his new purpose in life and so, when he was not in his lab, he was in the garage.

He heard steps coming near and believing it was Raphael, the only other one who entered there, he asked him for a wrench.

“Which one?” Leo wondered in his deep, velvety voice.

Donnie felt how close his brother was when he was trapped under the car, with only his lower part showing. The shock made Don hit his head, and he rushed out from under the car.

“Forget it, Leo I got this,” he exclaimed, grabbing the tool.

“Of course, you got this,” Leo replied, his voice heavy with intent. ”You are so perfect, and hardworking. What would we do without you? I know I wouldn’t be the same leader or turtle if you were not part of my life, Don.”

Leo’s eyes were half-closed, his expression seductive. His head was slightly bent to the side like he was analyzing Donnie while waiting for a reply. Don had the irrelevant thought that the necklace enhanced the fineness of the leader’s neck, giving him the look of a dangerous ballerina.

Donatello shivered from head to toe. It was bad. If Leo had made this declaration six months ago, Don would have been head over heels. But now, even if his heart was pounding, he could not acknowledge his brother’s feeling.

“You do your job, Leo. I do mine. It’s nothing amazing. Raph could turn a wrench as well,” he deadpanned.

He could tell Leo was taken aback a little by his lack of enthusiasm, but he made another attempt.

“I mean, Donnie, you’re special to me,” he declared, clearing his throat, looking at him straight in the eyes.

The genius looked away, searching a way to get out of the situation without hurting the turtle he deeply loved.

“Of course, you are to me too, as are Mikey and Raph. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do…” he said trying to get up and leave the garage but an arm stopped him, preventing him from running away.

“Okay, Donnie, you give me no choice,” Leo said, in a low-pitched voice, dripping of sensuality. “I have to spell it out. I love you, and before you say anything, let’s me say it’s not about brotherly love.”

Donatello remained frozen, not even daring to look at his brother, as panicked as a mouse face-to-face with a cat. He felt the warm breath of his brother approach, inhaling the particular smell of his breath, mixing jasmine and menthol, petrified and fascinated by the blue eyes staring at his own.

Leo was about to kiss him.

It was a dream coming true.

Leo was about to kiss him.

His eyes were closed and his lips offered, parted, his head drawn backward, and Donnie saw the purple ribbon. With the harsh lighting of the garage, Don could almost see the stitches through the silk.

Leo was about to kiss him.

Fuck.

He shoved Leo away, with a shout.

“Never do that,” he yelled, his eyes misted by tears of distress.

Very pale and obviously upset, Leo took two giant steps backward.

“I’m sorry, Donnie. I have mistaken some sign of you in the past years, taking them for hints. Before, I didn’t act on them, because I wasn’t sure of my own feelings and if it would mess the team. But after my almost death, I decided that I needed more in my life…”

Donnie put his mind in censorship mode. Leo was not almost dead. He was dead and was only alive if Don stayed celibate.

“I can’t…” he said flatly, but seeing how Leo was hurt by his words, he tried to smooth the pain to be rejected. ”But, I care deeply for you, Leo.”

“I see,” the leader replied sternly. ”I won’t bother you with my feelings, anymore,” he concluded before turning his heel and leaving the garage, leaving Donatello soul-crushed.

Maybe it was what the sorceress meant when she said Donnie had to lose his soul in the deal.

***

Weeks passed again and Leo kept his word. Don could not tell if Leo was avoiding him but he was making sure to never be alone with him.

It suited Donnie just fine, because after Leo’s confession and attempted kiss, Don was only a horny mess, craving love and kisses. If Leo had continued to chase him, Donnie had no idea how long he could have resisted.

But then, he did not need to worry, since Leo seemed to have found another person to care for.

Since Leo's resurrection, Raphael had only been caring with the leader, the complete opposite of how he was before. Losing Leo had hit him hard, and now Donnie remembered how upset and distressed Raph had been, closing Leo’s eye because he could not stand to saw them lifeless. At the time, Don had found this normal and maybe it was normal for a brother to think so. But Donnie, loving Leo so much himself and already having too much of a hard time dealing with his own pain, had not paid mind to Raphael’s.

But now, Don could guess that all Raph’s bittering and bitching about Leonardo in the past was only repressed love.

So, it was predictable, Leo turned his gorgeous eyes to his brother in red.

Don heard them this night, feeling each whisper and moan like a stab, but too weak to get away.

“I need you…” Leo was begging Raphael in the same voice he was begging him in Don’s fantasies.

“I’m too hot, please, make love to me…”

Don felt his stomach dropping on the floor hearing the same word Leo’s had said in his fantasies at the Voodoo sorceress’.

All of this could have been for him. He could have been on the other end of Leo’s loving whispers and the stare of his bedroom eyes.

Then he remembered what the woman had said. If Don had issues or question he could see her. Of course, they were no refunds, he knew that. He knew he couldn’t make Leo his, but at least, he had hoped to not hear Leo take his pleasure from someone else under his nose.

He went to the sorceress, running as fast as he could, to not hear Leo’s climax. Jealousy made him almost fly and in less than an hour he was there, having to grab some Coca-cola cans on his path to be welcomed.

“No refunds,” she said, sitting in the same chair, a snake on her lap.

“I know!” Don exclaimed, ”but it hurts too much to see him with another. I love him so much and gave up my soul and my body for him.”

“If it hurts you too much, just cut his ribbon,” she replied matter of factly, still petting the snake.

Don looked at her in bewilderment.

“I can’t do that, I love him,” he retorted, indignant, “the problem is Raphael or this chastity oath you put on me.”

The witch scowled. "It's not impossible, but I'm not sure you'll like what I'm going to say."

Don encouraged her to continue then. She continued, her sharp eyes scrutinized him.

“The only solution I see is to give your brother and rival to the goddess.” She pulled out the ivory-handled knife in front of a Donnie who was now more dead than alive. "Kill him and rub his blood on your cock. You have to take the one you want before the blood dries on it. The goddess will understand that by this sacrifice, you ask for the freedom to have a lover. But you will never have your soul back.”

His soul was not Donnie’s main concern. He did not have one anymore and he did not feel the change at all.

“Are you serious? I can’t kill my own brother! There probably other solutions,” he protested.

“It’s either that, or you cut the ribbon, or you stay the way you entered here. Decide yourself, mortal, before I finish this drink. Then, this deal will be over,” she said. “Maybe this would help you to make your decision.”

Muttering some incantation, she lightened up another blue fire, and in the flames, Donnie was shocked to see Leo’s face.

His features were twisted by pleasure. His was covered in sweat and Don could guess he was panting. He was even more enticing than in any fantasies he had.

“This is happening, right now. It could be you. It’s your call.”

On an impulse, Don took the knife, his heart beating as crazy.

“Repeat to me what I have to do”, he yelled, his breathing uneven as though he had run ten miles. He could be Leo’s lover and be the one making him moan.

“Slaughter him for the Goddess and rub his blood on your manhood. Then, use it on this turtle of yours.”

Even with how burnings Donnie’s passion jealousy were, it was an icy shower.

“But what if Leo doesn’t want to?” Don asked, not recognizing his own voice. “I rejected him, so maybe he won’t be willing. And since he is with Raph, now…”

“If he doesn’t want to before the blood dries, then you will have to make another sacrifice until he wants. This is the only way the Goddess allow you a lover.”

Mikey and Splinter's images came in his mind and Donnie felt sick. He would not do it, but he needed to do something, even if it was only to get the illusion to have power over the situation.

He ran the whole way back, returning home, the weight of the knife slowing him down and burning him like hot coals.

Returned to the lair, he tiptoed to Leo's room, pushing the door open discreetly.

Jealousy took him again when faced with the display of passion. His two brothers were entwined and swarmed, Leo's face hidden in the crook of Raphael's neck. They were sleeping and the blade he was carrying burned even more as if to make sure Donnie was aware of its presence. He almost felt like it was calling him, and without thinking, he put his hand to his belt, pulling out the knife and holding threateningly above Raphael.

But then, his madness left him and he fell on his knees, sobbing silently.

He could not.

They were in love and happy, and it was selfish for Donnie to rip happiness from Leo.

What was the point in Leo being alive if his brother did not appreciate life? If Raph disappeared, Leo and their whole family would suffer and miss him. If Leo had been in love with him, it was over now. Don had missed the train, not by rejecting him some weeks ago, but long before that, when Leo was not only alive thanks to a purple choker.

He gave up his soul, but it was not meaning he would felt nothing. Just that each day, he would be more crushed under Leo and Raph’s obvious and shared passion. He could not even hope to find happiness and love elsewhere. The Goddess would not allow him.

Killing Raph would rip him from a bright future, as well as Leo and the rest of his family. Raph did not have to pay for Don’s pact with the forces of Evil. There was only one way out.

Heartbroken, he left the room.

***

A noise awakened Raphael and startled, he looked around him.

Nobody except Fearless sleeping deeply beside him was in the room. He would have sworn he heard something. He turned to look at his lover more closely. He had been madly in love for so long and the happiness of finally having Leo near him would never grow old. He had hidden his passion for years behind anger and fighting, having even hurt him more than once in a heated sparring session.

Raph was now living his dream, but there was a downside to his blissful state. This purple ribbon, he decided.

He knew he was only his brother's second choice, Leo having lusted on Donatello for years and even more lately. Despite the rejection from the genius, Raphael was still worried Leo still had feelings for Don.

The purple ribbon was a constant reminder of how Donatello had remained loyal and relentless, while Raphael had given up, in a hurry to light a funeral pyre to try to move on. This ribbon was a reminder of Raph’s betrayal and, like Donnie’s seal of propriety, he decided, scowling.

Leo had not removed it because he wanted to keep his word, but Raphael saw it as useless. Leo had had it for four months. The stitches had to be healed. So, taking his sai, he cut the ribbon circling the neck of his sleeping brother.

When the head stayed in his hand, while the body was still motionless on the bed, Raphael screamed. A scream Don could not hear, hanging from the ceiling of his lab.


End file.
